Tuesday, December 10, 2013
How many times in the USA since this moment was the Late President Nelson Mandela said instead of this nonsense?
Americans are mindless sheep without reverence. And yes, nonsense. The USA is not at war in the Caribbean last time I checked.
Everyone can stop the hypocrisy now.
Americans traveling to Cuba in record numbers (click here)
Everyone can stop the hypocrisy now.
Americans traveling to Cuba in record numbers (click here)
HAVANA
(Reuters) - Americans are visiting Cuba in record numbers despite strict travel restrictions, joining the hundreds of thousands of Cuban Americans who travel home each year, according to Cuban government figures published on Friday.
Just over 98,000 U.S. citizens visited Cuba in 2012, up from 73,500 in 2011 and twice the number compared with five years ago, (Hm? Five years ago? That was Bush wasn't it? I think the media has President Obama confused with the past president.) according to an online report by the National Statistics Office (www.one.cu).
The numbers do not include more than 350,000 Cuban Americans estimated by travel agents and U.S. diplomats to have visited the island last year. Because Cuba considers them nationals, they are not listed in its tourism statistics.
U.S. citizens are barred from traveling to Cuba without government permission under a U.S. trade embargo imposed half a century ago that can only be lifted by Congress.
The rise in U.S. visitors partly reflects a loosening of travel restrictions by President Barack Obama's administration and allow "people-to-people" contact aimed at speeding political change on the communist-ruled island 90 miles from Florida....
Domestic violence cases aren't ever straight forward unless there is physical evidence of abuse, beatings or murder that can be connected to the abuser. It is up to prosecutor to make the best case for the plaintiff.
Most women don't realize they are allowed to live WITHOUT fear.
Women are often the person that absorbs the trials and tribulations in the family, especially if she is at the center of the household in a more traditional relationship.
But, women when they confront fear while in the company of their partner have just felt a warning sign. I've never feared beginning in the same room with anyone, not just a partner. So, the idea fear is part of the relationship and she has to accept whatever behavior her partner exhibits is completely wrong. The mind register's fear for real reasons and it should be respected.
Most women don't realize they are allowed to live WITHOUT fear.
Women are often the person that absorbs the trials and tribulations in the family, especially if she is at the center of the household in a more traditional relationship.
But, women when they confront fear while in the company of their partner have just felt a warning sign. I've never feared beginning in the same room with anyone, not just a partner. So, the idea fear is part of the relationship and she has to accept whatever behavior her partner exhibits is completely wrong. The mind register's fear for real reasons and it should be respected.
Domestic violence is a tough situation to end and create a safe environment for women and children.
Abused women have a high recidivism rate, even if they have children, for a variety of reasons, including economic, religious, shame and family pressure to make the marriage work.
Not all women abused are married, but, some are and even include the wives of holy men. Seriously.
...A total of 66,759 individuals charged (click here) with a domestic violence offense from 2004 through 2006 in Washington State courts were included in the study, 41% of whom had conditions imposed at sentencing. Over 100 different types of conditions were used during the study period, which were then reduced to 14 condition categories....
...While Wooldredge and Thislethwaite (2005) found that the combination of jail and probation was related to higher recidivism compared to dropped charges for domestic violence misdemeanants, probation alone had the strongest impact on reducing recidivism of all the court dispositions examined....
I am not really surprised Samantha Scheibe changed her mind. This case is high profile and it carries a great deal of pressure to uphold the integrity of gun ownership in a state that is reckless with their legislation. The charges never had a chance.
Not all women abused are married, but, some are and even include the wives of holy men. Seriously.
...A total of 66,759 individuals charged (click here) with a domestic violence offense from 2004 through 2006 in Washington State courts were included in the study, 41% of whom had conditions imposed at sentencing. Over 100 different types of conditions were used during the study period, which were then reduced to 14 condition categories....
...While Wooldredge and Thislethwaite (2005) found that the combination of jail and probation was related to higher recidivism compared to dropped charges for domestic violence misdemeanants, probation alone had the strongest impact on reducing recidivism of all the court dispositions examined....
I am not really surprised Samantha Scheibe changed her mind. This case is high profile and it carries a great deal of pressure to uphold the integrity of gun ownership in a state that is reckless with their legislation. The charges never had a chance.
George Zimmerman's Girlfriend Wants to Drop Charges, 'Be With Him' (click here)
Dec. 9, 2013
Governor Christie owes the people of Fort Lee an apology.
This is horrible. Some would like to think this was punitive as the Mayor of Fort Lee didn't endorse the governor in the past election. It matters that a personal vendetta actually takes place, but, whether it was an agenda of vendetta or simply poor management of states assets requires an apology.
It would seem a minor whodunit (click here) for a small suburb: On the first day of school in September, three access lanes leading from Fort Lee, N.J., streets to the George Washington Bridge were unexpectedly and mysteriously shut down. Cars backed up, the town turned into a parking lot, half-hour bridge commutes stretched into four hours, buses and children were late for school, and emergency workers could not respond quickly to the day’s events, which included a missing toddler, a cardiac arrest and a car driving into a building....
No one is laughing, Governor.
Children are crying and upset because their transportation to school is late and this was their first day of school. This may have been some kind of legitimate use of a New Jersey road, HOWEVER, for the lack of notice to the City of Fort Lee is inexcusable. It is simply is inexcusable. New Jersey usually has a well established infrastructure and can sometimes run itself. But, for a department to ignore notice to an entire city regarding a change of purpose of a road is at the very least negligent and/or a vicious attack on a Mayor who thinks for himself.
If this is any indication to the Christi Second Term, he might be looking at a recall election; whether it costs millions or not. Everyone whom this impacted deserves an explanation and people held responsible.
Changing the topic, the House Speaker needs to move into a budget soon or a continuing resolution. I am sure there were many unhappy over the past shutdown, but, at least they had notice.
September 30, 2013
By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: December 9, 2013
No one is laughing, Governor.
Children are crying and upset because their transportation to school is late and this was their first day of school. This may have been some kind of legitimate use of a New Jersey road, HOWEVER, for the lack of notice to the City of Fort Lee is inexcusable. It is simply is inexcusable. New Jersey usually has a well established infrastructure and can sometimes run itself. But, for a department to ignore notice to an entire city regarding a change of purpose of a road is at the very least negligent and/or a vicious attack on a Mayor who thinks for himself.
If this is any indication to the Christi Second Term, he might be looking at a recall election; whether it costs millions or not. Everyone whom this impacted deserves an explanation and people held responsible.
Changing the topic, the House Speaker needs to move into a budget soon or a continuing resolution. I am sure there were many unhappy over the past shutdown, but, at least they had notice.
by Scott Wise
However, (click here) many of the more than 5,000 Department of Defense civilian employees there would be temporarily furloughed, Stephen Baker with the Fort Lee Public Affairs Office wrote in an email.
Other changes, according to Baker, include:
- Fort Lee’s commissary will remain open one full business day Tuesday, the first day of the new fiscal year, to reduce the amount of perishables on-hand before closing, according to Defense Commissary Agency.
- All fitness centers except the MacLaughlin Fitness Center will be closed.
- All hunting on Fort Lee will be suspended.
- The privately owned weapons range will be closed.
- The Wednesday grand opening of a new Child Youth Center will be postponed.
- The annual Army Family Action Plan Conference scheduled here Tuesday-Thursday will be cancelled.
- These Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and facilities will be closed: Outdoor Recreation, Leisure Travel Services, Army Community Library, Picture Perfect Frame Shop, Adventure Park and Auto Crafts.
- Army Community Service programs such as Survivor Outreach Services and the Exceptional Family Member Program will be closed; limited financial counseling services will be offered.
- The Army Education Center will remain open with limited services.
- Passport processing and forms and records support services at the Solider Support Center will be suspended.
- Services at the new Training Support Center will be limited.
- The U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum and U.S. Army Women’s Museum will remain open, but with reduced support for special services.
Republicans, always in a snit.
Honestly.
She knows how to build cars!
The first woman CEO of a major car company.
Thank you, GM. And she is a GMC veteran of 30 years and she knows how to build cars.
Dec 10, 2013 8:46 AM ET
General Motors Co. (GM) plans to name Mary Barra (click here) to succeed Dan Akerson as chief executive officer, making her the first female CEO in the global automotive industry, a person familiar with the effort said.
CEO since 2010, Akerson, who turned 65 in October, plans to tell employees today that he will step down in January, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. GM is likely to announce the change publicly today, according to the person. Dave Roman, a GM spokesman, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment.
Barra, 51, whose career started on a factory floor as an intern more than 30 years ago, has been in charge of product development and quality of all GM cars and trucks for 22 months, fostering collaboration and wringing costs out of the supply chain....
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1430z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of north and west hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)
The weather system is rather tenacious.
The Infrared Satellite might make a better picture to realize the turbulence of this storm.
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December 10, 20131430:20z
UNISYS Infrared Satellite of north and west hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)
The left side of both satellites exhibits what looks like a tornado. It is a high tropospheric storm which is causing Hawaii rain and wind. That same part of the system will become a vortex of the Arctic Oscillation and will continue to pull water vapor from the warmer tropics.
Small craft warnings on the southeast side of the islands.
The part of this weather system causing problems in the Midwest to the east coast is due to the two fronts coming together primarily over Kansas.
The southern front is carrying heat and the northern from is cold. Therefore, weather bringing precipitation and wind all week.
State by State Look at Wintery Weather (click here)
December 9
The Associated Press
For days, temperatures have plunged across a large portion of the United States, accompanied by a storm system that's brought sleet, snow, ice or a combination of all three. The weather has been a factor in several deaths and has caused treacherous travel conditions and the cancellation of thousands of flights.
CALIFORNIA
Citrus farmers in California's Central Valley dodged the brunt of the seemingly never-ending winter storm. They used wind machines over the weekend to prevent crop freezes when temperatures dropped into the upper 20s.
MARYLAND
Utilities said more than 19,000 customers were without power early Monday in Maryland due to the wintry storm. Baltimore officials cancelled the mayor's annual Christmas parade Sunday because of snow and dangerous road conditions.
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts commuters faced a light covering of snow Monday morning. Much of the state experienced at least a dusting of snow, but that was expected to turn over to rain as the day progressed, with temperatures at about 40 degrees.
With all the cold weather, the temperatures aren't really that cold. The temperatures in this front maintains a majority of above zero temperatures. It feels colder than it is because of the high amount of water vapor in the storm.
NEW JERSEY
Forecasters said Southern New Jersey experienced up to 11 inches of snow overnight, and motorists faced slippery conditions as rain replaced snow statewide. State police said two people died in a car crash on an icy Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County.
Parts of the state where temperatures are at or below freezing remain under a winter weather advisory because of the possibility of ice. The state Transportation Department treated highways with salt and imposed speed restrictions on some roads.
The rain was expected to taper off by Monday evening with the potential for light snow with cold temperatures on Tuesday.
PENNSYLVANIA
A storm system that blanketed Pennsylvania with several inches of snow began to leave the state Monday morning. The flakes changed to rain in Philadelphia, making for slushy streets downtown. City schools were expected to operate on a normal schedule, and transportation officials said regional rail was operating on or close to schedule.
March 23, 2013
Wilkins Ice Shelf, Antarctica
An ice shelf (click here) is a thick plate of ice attached to a coastline on one side and floating over the ocean on the other side. Many ice shelves fringe Antarctica, including the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula, which underwent a series of breakup events in 1998, 2008, and 2009.
Just as earthquakes can sometimes leave landscapes more prone to future quakes, the breakups on the Wilkins Ice Shelf left it vulnerable to further disintegration. In addition, the sea ice that had long pressed the shelf up against the coastline moved out, putting the remnants of the shelf in direct contact with open water. Ocean waves went to work on the ice, and in early 2013 the fracturing continued.
Acquired March 23, 2013, this high-resolution image from the WorldView-2 satellite shows a portion of the Wilkins Ice Shelf and a large assemblage of icebergs and sea ice just off the shelf front....
I've discussed this before. Earth's warming actually causes the atmosphere to be colder before it gets hotter. The reason is because large losses of ice RELEASE cold temperatures as they melt. The ice releases those cold temperatures in order to melt. The air temperatures and it's effect on weather will cause counter intuitive ideas about the Climate Crisis. How is it so cold, if Earth is warming?
World Record Cold Reported in Antarctica (click here)
...Try 135.8 degrees F below zero; that's 93.2 degrees below zero Celsius, which sounds only slightly toastier. Better yet, don't try it. That's so cold scientists say it hurts to breathe.
A new look at NASA satellite data revealed that Earth set a new record for coldest temperature, as recorded by satellite. It happened in August 2010 when it hit -135.8 degrees. Then on July 31 of this year, it came close again: -135.3 degrees.
The old record, as measured by thermometers, is -128.6 degrees, set in Vostok, Antarctica, in 1983.
Ice scientist Ted Scambos at the National Snow and Ice Data Center said the new record is "50 degrees colder than anything that has ever been seen in Alaska or Siberia or certainly North Dakota."...
Within in this blog are records of temperatures across Antarctica. The recording on the blog was on a daily basis in most instances. The coldest temperatures were noted at Vostok, the Russian station on the high ice. The coldest recorded on this blog over years of observation was 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
I've discussed this before. Earth's warming actually causes the atmosphere to be colder before it gets hotter. The reason is because large losses of ice RELEASE cold temperatures as they melt. The ice releases those cold temperatures in order to melt. The air temperatures and it's effect on weather will cause counter intuitive ideas about the Climate Crisis. How is it so cold, if Earth is warming?
World Record Cold Reported in Antarctica (click here)
...Try 135.8 degrees F below zero; that's 93.2 degrees below zero Celsius, which sounds only slightly toastier. Better yet, don't try it. That's so cold scientists say it hurts to breathe.
A new look at NASA satellite data revealed that Earth set a new record for coldest temperature, as recorded by satellite. It happened in August 2010 when it hit -135.8 degrees. Then on July 31 of this year, it came close again: -135.3 degrees.
The old record, as measured by thermometers, is -128.6 degrees, set in Vostok, Antarctica, in 1983.
Ice scientist Ted Scambos at the National Snow and Ice Data Center said the new record is "50 degrees colder than anything that has ever been seen in Alaska or Siberia or certainly North Dakota."...
Within in this blog are records of temperatures across Antarctica. The recording on the blog was on a daily basis in most instances. The coldest temperatures were noted at Vostok, the Russian station on the high ice. The coldest recorded on this blog over years of observation was 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
These frigid temperatures Antarctica is experiencing is due to the loss of large amounts of ice. It is the Austral Summer in Antarctica. By all rights, the southern hemisphere should be recording warmer than usual temperatures. However, it is the complete opposite with Antarctica because of the release of cold from it's melting ice.
The coldest daytime temperatures is the south island of Tasmania. It is 16 degrees C or 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is still autumn in Australia, winter begins December 21, 2013. Those are very warm temperatures in Australia for autumn temperatures. Tasmania is not very far from the Antarctica coast. I think that is the most proof anyone needs to understand the Climate Crisis is real and complicated.
The New Zealand Herald's videos never translate well here, but, it worth listening to.
WeatherWatch: (DEC 09) Sunnier weather returning (click here)
There are still a few rain clouds circling New Zealand but higher pressure this week and weekend means many areas should be drier. A few showers will pop up here and there, mostly western and southern areas of the South Island – but a few northern areas may see a few showers too. Driest areas look to be inland, east and north eastern regions. While we can’t yet see Christmas Day the weather pattern leading up to it will be similar to what we’ve had over the past 4 weeks.
"...crazy weather all around the world...."
...Tutu said (click here) the world must not mourn his old friend's death, but rather celebrate his life and example.
"He emerged from that crucible of suffering and being dehumanised, breaking rocks... sewing post office bags, working in the quarry," during his 27-year incarceration under the apartheid regime's racial laws.
"But instead of being consumed by hate and a lust for revenge, (he became) a stalwart for reconciliation... and forgiveness."
The moving gathering ended with singer Johnny Clegg performing the track "Asimbonanga" he had written for Mandela in 1976.
The title means "We've never seen him" and refers to the long years Mandela spent in jail when all images of him were banned....
Both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela are Nobel Laureates.
10:21PM GMT 09 Dec 2013
Both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela are Nobel Laureates.
10:21PM GMT 09 Dec 2013
...The 82-year-old, (click here) who together with Mr Mandela actively fought for peace and human rights in South Africa, called for other leaders to follow in his footsteps.
"I don't know, there are not very many heads of states who would so easily say 'I am sorry' and I hope that not only we, but our leaders, would emulate him," he said....
Monday, December 09, 2013
It is all about money. Pro-Life has nothing to do with this.
(Reuters) - The Michigan legislature (click here) will consider a proposal this week that, if enacted, would make it the ninth state to prohibit insurance companies from offering abortion services unless women pay an extra fee in addition to the usual premium.
The proposal will go before the majority-Republican legislature as a petition organized by Right to Life of Michigan, an anti-abortion group, that was approved on Monday by the Michigan Board of Canvassers.
Under Michigan's constitution, the legislature could approve the proposed "Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act" by a simple majority vote that does not require the signature of Republican Governor Rick Snyder....
The wealth merchants within the Michigan Legislature is finding yet another reason to cause an increase in the cost of living for women. This has nothing to do with a validating fact. The Michigan Republicans have no study by the insurance industry or otherwise that states the Opt-Out Rider for Abortions actually prevents abortions. This is just an excuse for the Wealth Merchants to increase their bank accounts.
This is a perfect example of Populism that deceives the public.
H.R. 6563 (112th): Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012
Rand Paul doesn't have to lecture the American people, he needs to do something other than make excuses.
The idea Detroit is suppose to give discounted taxes to businesses means prolonged fiscal problems. The only thing I agree with is the fact no one has come up with a plan. The Mayor and Council's hands are tied and have no real legislative initiative to recover the City of Detroit.
Free Trade/Enterprise Zones have been tried elsewhere and they don't encourage growth. North Carolina has two Free Trade/Enterprise Zones, one at each end of the state, near Raleigh and Fuqay and the other near Winston-Salem. There zones are primarily about foreign trade. They really aren't places where employment take place. When Senator Paul states Detroit needs Free Enterprise Zones, he is lending his support to wealth and not very much employment.
The idea Detroit is suppose to give discounted taxes to businesses means prolonged fiscal problems. The only thing I agree with is the fact no one has come up with a plan. The Mayor and Council's hands are tied and have no real legislative initiative to recover the City of Detroit.
Free Trade/Enterprise Zones have been tried elsewhere and they don't encourage growth. North Carolina has two Free Trade/Enterprise Zones, one at each end of the state, near Raleigh and Fuqay and the other near Winston-Salem. There zones are primarily about foreign trade. They really aren't places where employment take place. When Senator Paul states Detroit needs Free Enterprise Zones, he is lending his support to wealth and not very much employment.
"...one on unemployment for 4 weeks or 99 weeks which one would you hire? The employer nearly 100% always says they will hire the one with 4 weeks unemployment..."
Senator Senator Rand Paul took office January 3, 2011. The bills that he wrote were all extremist bills. They seek to deconstruct the US Constitution.
1. S.15 : Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013
2. S.81 : Default Prevention Act
3. S.82 : Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act of 2013
And on and on and on and more of the same.
Congressman Ed Markey had been in the House for many, many years and a wonderful representative of his Massachusetts district. He was running for the Senate in 2012 and won his race. But, while he was running he didn't ignore his responsibilities in the House. So, in September of 2012 he submitted a bill he wrote:
H.R. 6563 (112th): Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 (click here). It was referred back to committee after Representative Markey attempted to open it for a vote.
Now, one could say the current Senator Markey was grandstanding for the sake of his election, but, don't the Republicans grandstand all the time. So, the point is mute. But, let's see if jobs for veterans is really needed.
Veterans Day is, (click here) of course, a day to honor and remember those who have served in the military. But it's also worth noting some of the steep challenges that many American veterans have faced in recent years on returning home.
This chart from the Council of Economic Advisers shows that the unemployment rate for recent veterans remains incredibly high — around 10 percent — and remains noticeably higher than it is for non-veterans in the same demographic group:...
What the now Senator and Former Congressman Markey's bill, HR 6563 was vitally needed. We have veterans at their wits end without having employment and the bill was specifically to support them.
The difference between Senator Paul and Senator Markey is completely obvious and I should not have had to point to it. Senator Markey's bill had a purpose. I have yet to hear or read anything of Senator Paul's that does. Who do you want in office in the USA Senate. A Senator that plays politics endlessly without accomplish anything except inflammatory speech? Or do you want a Senator that actually writes bills about sincere problems that exist in the USA?
Do you know what these Senators make? Their pay rate.
Now, who do you want in office in the USA Senate?
If Senator and then Representative Markey was able to pass his bill there is a very good chance the Congress would not need to extend unemployment yet again!
If Senator Paul is sincere about limiting an arbitrary 26 weeks of unemployment, then he would have already solved the problem so any extension would be unnecessary and the US unemployment rate might be 1 or 2 percent lower.
We can dream, can't we?
September 14, 2012
By Lawrence Downes
Congressional Republicans, (click here) resolute in their commitment to deny the Democrats anything that looks like an accomplishment in an election year, have spent the week obstructing passage of the Veterans Job Corps Act of 2012. It’s a perfectly inoffensive bill from Senator Patty Murray, the Washington Democrat, meant to increase hiring and job training for veterans, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan....
...I’ll let the Republicans explain.
The poor excuses of the Republican Party are many in obstructing job bills for the country. They turn everything into rhetoric. They aren't doing their jobs and they are getting away with it, while the people of the USA struggle to find their footing either after 2008 or after returning from war.
The extended unemployment benefits are very helpful when people are retraining for jobs that are available.
What the now Senator and Former Congressman Markey's bill, HR 6563 was vitally needed. We have veterans at their wits end without having employment and the bill was specifically to support them.
The difference between Senator Paul and Senator Markey is completely obvious and I should not have had to point to it. Senator Markey's bill had a purpose. I have yet to hear or read anything of Senator Paul's that does. Who do you want in office in the USA Senate. A Senator that plays politics endlessly without accomplish anything except inflammatory speech? Or do you want a Senator that actually writes bills about sincere problems that exist in the USA?
Do you know what these Senators make? Their pay rate.
Now, who do you want in office in the USA Senate?
If Senator and then Representative Markey was able to pass his bill there is a very good chance the Congress would not need to extend unemployment yet again!
If Senator Paul is sincere about limiting an arbitrary 26 weeks of unemployment, then he would have already solved the problem so any extension would be unnecessary and the US unemployment rate might be 1 or 2 percent lower.
We can dream, can't we?
September 14, 2012
By Lawrence Downes
Congressional Republicans, (click here) resolute in their commitment to deny the Democrats anything that looks like an accomplishment in an election year, have spent the week obstructing passage of the Veterans Job Corps Act of 2012. It’s a perfectly inoffensive bill from Senator Patty Murray, the Washington Democrat, meant to increase hiring and job training for veterans, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan....
...I’ll let the Republicans explain.
Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma says it is dishonorable and cowardly to help veterans find jobs when there are more important things (what?) to do. Perhaps forgetting where he worked, he denounced the legislation on Wednesday as a “political exercise” and a waste of time, since the House wasn’t going to pass it anyway. (If that’s going to be the standard, the Senate might as well shut off the utilities.)
“Where is our honor? Where is our valor? Where is our sacrifice?” thundered Mr. Coburn, immediately after suggesting that the bill cost too much.
Rand Paul of Kentucky went further, saying he would block the bill until Pakistan freed Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the United States find Osama bin Laden. He also wants to halt all American aid to Pakistan until Dr. Afridi is released. If that halts American aid to veterans, too bad.
“I care deeply about the veterans . I care deeply about housing and helping the veterans who have fought for their country. But this is about whether we as a country and the American taxpayers will be asked to send good money after bad to allies that are not acting like allies.”
It’s only “about” that because of Mr. Paul. This ought to be about jobs for veterans....
This bill devolved to be an obstruction issue. The Democrats weren't suppose to pass bills. And then Senator Paul turned the bill into a foreign diplomacy issue. ???????????? What has that got to do with jobs? If Senator Paul wants to pass a bill about Shakil Afridi, he was welcome to do it. The poor excuses of the Republican Party are many in obstructing job bills for the country. They turn everything into rhetoric. They aren't doing their jobs and they are getting away with it, while the people of the USA struggle to find their footing either after 2008 or after returning from war.
The extended unemployment benefits are very helpful when people are retraining for jobs that are available.
Karzai's meeting in Iran should come as no surprise or consequence.
In case no one noticed the two countries share a border.
Despite the fact that the U.S. and Afghanistan are at odds over a security agreement that allows U.S. troops to remain in the country past 2014, Hagel has no plans to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has refused to sign the security agreement....
12-08-2013 15:10 BJT
KABUL, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai (click here) left for Iranon Sunday, a statement released by his office here said.
"President Hamid Karzai at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Dr. Hassan Rohani left for Tehran this morning," the statement said.
During the one-day visit to Iran, matters pertaining mutual cooperation including enhancing bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations will come under discussion....
The Arctic is far warmer and it is causing a crash of it's ecosystem. Don't tell me the temperature isn't warmer. We are seeing the loss of multiple year ice in the Arctic Ocean.
Hoot, Hoot?
What is wrong with this picture?
Snowy owls are heading south throughout the Northeast, including this one photographed on Dec. 3 at Presque Isle State Park's Gull Point near Erie, Pa. (AP Photo, Erie Times-News | CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE)
Snowy Owls are not usually seen on beaches with sand an pebbles.
Are they the new Goose?
By
December 09, 2013 at 5:00 AM, updated December 09, 2013 at 5:08 AM
...What's happening is called an irruption, (click here) meaning a large migration of a species moves temporarily into areas where they're not normally found. When it comes to snowy owls, there's no way to positively predict when this is going to happen, although there are a lot of theories as to what causes it.
There's a long accepted belief that snowy owls move south in winters when the lemming population in the high Arctic is low. But not everyone agrees with that. Others postulate that these owls move south in big numbers even when lemming numbers are good because an abnormally high number of young have survived and they and other predators are competing for winter food. And still other ornithologists think weather has something to do with a mass movement even though these owls live and breed on a treeless tundra as far north as you can go.
Snowy owls are currently being found in every northeastern state and even in some southern ones. Six of them have been sighted at the Syracuse, N.Y., airport alone. In New Jersey, they're scattered up and down the coast, and no doubt there are some unseen inland. The most astounding statistic I've seen so far came from the island of Newfoundland, where 138 were found in one day....
The real questions is want happened to the lemming and vole populations in the Arctic and is the Snowy Owl becoming Threatened or Endangered in the normal range?
...A snowy owl's preferred meal is lemmings (click here) —many lemmings. An adult may eat more than 1,600 lemmings a year, or three to five every day. The birds supplement their diet with rabbits, rodents, birds, and fish.
These magnificent owls sometimes remain year-round in their northern breeding grounds, but they are frequent migrants to Canada, the northern United States, Europe, and Asia. Lemming availability may determine the extent of southern migration, when owls take up summer residence on open fields, marshes, and beaches....
This is a 2012 report which states Lemming populations may be crashing with maximum numbers changing to every 8 years than every 5 years.
...In some regions, (click here) however, the cyclic pattern is changing, especially the cycle duration. On Wrangel Island, northeast Russia, the period between years with peak densities has increased from five years in the 1970s to close to eight years in the 1990s and 2000s...
The third graph shows a consistent decrease in the Snowy Owls preferred diet, namely the lemmings. Snowy Owls are raptors. They hunt like Eagles do.
The reason for the decrease in lemming population needs to be investigated. And the Snowy Owl population now in their very southern range has to be discerned to know if birds usually seen in their southern range are not the ONLY owls left. It could be that a large population with ever increasing numbers of Snowy Owls now in their southern range may be crashing with their food source.
Surprise, surprise; it is climate. The QUALITY of the SNOW TEMPERATURE determines population. Warmer snows result in predator success while cold snows results in Lemming success.
This is a 2012 report which states Lemming populations may be crashing with maximum numbers changing to every 8 years than every 5 years.
...In some regions, (click here) however, the cyclic pattern is changing, especially the cycle duration. On Wrangel Island, northeast Russia, the period between years with peak densities has increased from five years in the 1970s to close to eight years in the 1990s and 2000s...The third graph shows a consistent decrease in the Snowy Owls preferred diet, namely the lemmings. Snowy Owls are raptors. They hunt like Eagles do.
The reason for the decrease in lemming population needs to be investigated. And the Snowy Owl population now in their very southern range has to be discerned to know if birds usually seen in their southern range are not the ONLY owls left. It could be that a large population with ever increasing numbers of Snowy Owls now in their southern range may be crashing with their food source.
Surprise, surprise; it is climate. The QUALITY of the SNOW TEMPERATURE determines population. Warmer snows result in predator success while cold snows results in Lemming success....Wet snow helps predators (click here)
Nils: When they crash, they crash to very low densities and they crash most likely because of the predator population building up. So they crash to very low levels and it takes time for them to build up. And to build up very high densities, they need a period in which they are free from heavy predation and that's what they get during the snow, during the winter period, and it takes three to four years to build up such a population.
But in the mid ‘90s, all this was gone and what we found in this paper published in Naturewas that the snow had changed from being soft and dry to being wet. Hence, the lemmings could not build up....
The Snowy Owl has very few predators, arctic foxes, corvids and swift-flying jaegers; as well as dogs, gray wolves and avian predators. While these predators do have an effect on the number of Snowy Owl in the arctic, it doesn't mean they are very successful. Snowy Owls will protect their nests from predators and they are very successful in doing so.
As a keystone species it controls the populations of other animals in the ecosystem.
It is a keystone species. It is a predator. A keystone species is like a keystone in the center of an arch. The arch collapses without the center stone.
Unfortunately, this movement of the owls and the deteriorating ecosystem that supports the Lemmings is a very big deal. Very big.
The Snowy Owl has very few predators, arctic foxes, corvids and swift-flying jaegers; as well as dogs, gray wolves and avian predators. While these predators do have an effect on the number of Snowy Owl in the arctic, it doesn't mean they are very successful. Snowy Owls will protect their nests from predators and they are very successful in doing so.
As a keystone species it controls the populations of other animals in the ecosystem.
It is a keystone species. It is a predator. A keystone species is like a keystone in the center of an arch. The arch collapses without the center stone.
Unfortunately, this movement of the owls and the deteriorating ecosystem that supports the Lemmings is a very big deal. Very big.
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